The field of the invention is uniforms for those required to wear body armor. This could, of course, be military personnel, peace officers, security personnel and various government enforcement agencies and the like. A problem which is most common with peace officers is the necessity to wear heavy gear. Duty or utility belts are most commonly worn by peace officers. These belts are used to hold the necessary gear that a peace officer uses which typically include a firearm and holster, handcuffs in a handcuff case, an ammunition case, a baton, a flashlight, pepper spray, a knife and a tape recorder. This equipment can collectively weigh between 8 and 13 pounds. The duty belt is held to the pants belt by keepers which pass under the pants belt and snap over the duty belt transferring the weight on the duty belt to the pants belt. This weight supported by a wearer's belt through the keepers can place a strain on the lower back and hips of the officer. Furthermore, the weight of such gear continuously pulls downwardly on the wearer's belt and can cause the duty belt to move downwardly from its preferred location.
Peace officers, and especially police officers, commonly wear body armor which covers the front and back of the officer. The front and back portions of the body armor are typically supported by the wearer's shoulders and side straps are used, typically with hook and eye fasteners, to secure the front and back parts of the body armor to the wearer. The body armor being somewhat bulky can add to the weight support problem since the portions of the gear along the back portion of the wearer's belt tends to press into the user's back while sitting, such as in an automobile, and if the belt has worked its way below an ideal location this can press the gear against the wearer's lower back and exacerbate the potential of back problems. When the duty belt is at the preferred location, this gear is above the portion of the back which is particularly sensitive to continued pressure.
Hook and eye fasteners have been used in place of suspenders in garments as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,488,738. In this patent a vest supports a suspenders-like member which in turn fastens to a lower body garment. It is suggested for use by elderly persons.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,495,621 shows a body armor vest which includes an elastic lower garment. The lower garment anchors the vest in place by attaching along a strip across the front and back of the vest at the waist.